If you come to my blog and wonder where all the pretty pictures have gone, you are not alone.
I am working to get them back soon! In the meantime, enjoy some cute puppies.
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| This one is obviously the cutest one of all :) My lil Sadie |
1/30/13
1/22/13
Long Flight Survival
Quick Long Flight Survival Tips, Tested and Proven by Your Truly:
-Wear thick socks, comfy shoes, comfy clothes, and LAYER! It gets cold at 30,000 feet, and plane blankets suck. My personal favorite is fuzzy socks. Kind of want this sleeper hoodie though: Burton Sleeper Travel Hoodie
-Bring an eye mask and earplugs or headphones...that crying baby at 2 am will make you crabby. If you like to sleep to music, create a quiet playlist to listen to as you sleep. My personal favorite sleep music is the Postal Service. Never fails!
-Bring your own bottle of water, extra snacks, and gum.
-Watch movies, read a book or magazine, play games...if you cant sleep, keep yourself distracted so time passes quickly.
-Take Sleep Aids if you are flying overnight somewhere and want to guarantee you get some sleep across the pond. Take the aids about 15-20 minutes before takeoff. Regular ol' Target brand Sleep Aid works just as well as other brand name products.
-Pack a small bag of items for quickly refreshing in the bathroom: Toothbrush and paste, contact/eye drops, face wipes, lotion, deodorant, nasal saline, lip balm, Advil, etc.
- Get up every hour or so and walk around, stretch, anything to get some movement. If you cant leave your seat, do some chair exercises: Do an In Flight Fitness Workout
This article has been written many times, I know, but here are some other good links:
Do you have another must have or must do for surviving long flights? Comment below.
1/9/13
1/8/13
Travel Tip - Haggling
Travelers of any degree know this feeling all too well. You're on a trip, walking and seeing the sights, and you pass by a little store or street vendor selling scarves, wallets, postcards, figurines, keychains and T-shirts, all emblazoned with the destination name, symbol, or a witty local saying. A little voice pipes up inside your head: "Maybe I should get something to bring back for [insert mom/dad/sibling name/spouse name/friend]?" Before you know it you have spent nearly $100 to get your sister a shot glass that says "Everyting Irie Mon", your dad a Gecko t-shirt, your mom a purse [supposedly] made by locals, your best friend a pot leaf necklace, and your spouse a box of Cuban cigars, not really from Cuba. Worst part is, almost all of it was made in Taiwan or China.
What is it that gets us about souvenirs? We go on trips, and something from within propels us to buy tokens or trinkets that symbolically represent our trip for loved ones back at home. Maybe it stems from a sense of guilt? Maybe excitement? Perhaps we just feel we can share our trip with those we love who weren't there to experience it by bringing a piece of our trip home with us. On the receiving end, everyone loves getting gifts, but its hard to be excited about a generic keychain or t-shirt from a place you have never been. I have noticed several gifts I have brought back for Dustin are forever nestled in his bedside table, aka the junk drawer, never to see the light of day ever again. A tip: If you are going to get souvenirs for people back at home, try to find something you really think they will like or use, and not just something for the sake of buying something.
Sometimes, we buy things just for ourselves, hoping to make the memory of our trip last longer. I am frequently guilty of this act. I like to buy one thing from a trip to place on my bookshelf. I have a little llama figurine from an Ecuadorian market, a wooden turtle from Jamaica, a red mosaic-tiled bull from Spain, a jade Buddha from Chinatown in San Francisco, and so on. Sometimes photos just aren't enough; I like to walk by and see something tangible from the places I have been.
No matter the reason or who they are for, souvenirs are inevitable. And expensive, for what they are worth. The good news is, almost everywhere you go, haggling can burn that hole in your pocket a little less quickly. The definition of 'haggle' isn't very flattering:
haggle [hag-uh l]
This definition of haggling is a bit reductive though. When used properly, haggling can be carried out in a manner that is both dignified and respectful, while still satisfying both the tourist and the vendor.
Often vendors expect tourists to haggle, and intentionally overprice their items in advance of the sale. When you find an item you are interested in buying, think what you would be willing to pay for the item before you ask or look at the price, if possible. Having that number in your head will help you once you find out the items actual price. If it is lower than you expected, great! Get it! Sold! If it is waaaaaay higher than you expected, move on. Even with haggling, you will most likely not be able to get the vendor down to the price you have in mind. If the price is near what you hoped, but just a bit more than you are willing to pay, now is the time to haggle.
-Start by asking the vendor if he would be willing to take the amount you would like to pay. If they say yes, you are done. If the vendor does give you the price you ask for, don't try to bargain any further.
-If they say no, and don't offer any counteroffer, they probably will not budge. Now you need to decide whether it is worth more than you want to pay for it, or if its better to just walk away.
-If the vendor says no, but offers a counteroffer that is lower than the original price, now is the best time to haggle since you know the vendor is willing to bargain.
-Think about the price for a minute, with a frown or furrowed brow.
-Offer up another counteroffer, in the range between the you and the vendor's offered prices. Repeat if needed.
-Once the vendor agrees to a price you are happy with, the haggle is over.
A few tips:
-Be respectful, and smile. People are always more receptive to friendly people, and they will be more willing to interact with you.
-Be honest with yourself about the worth of the item to you and to the vendor. You can't expect a vendor to sell you a scarf for $1 when he is selling them for $20 each.
-Sometimes, telling the vendor you only have enough money for the price you offered will get them to agree to your price.
-If all else fails, saying "no, thank you" and walking away can prompt the vendor to rethink his offer and call you back to negotiate further.
-You can often get the vendor to give you a discount on multiple items for one lump sum.
When not to haggle:
-If you are buying services or food (quality of service will be diminished, and you should never mess with the people who cook/bring you your food). The exception is at a farmers market, or any place where you can already see the food you are bargaining for.
-just for the sake of haggling. If the price is right, the price is right, and remember that the vendor has to make a profit on the sale too.
-If the item is really special, like something that you know the vendor himself/herself has handmade. Haggling could be an insult in this instance.
-If you are a millionaire (C'mon, you can afford it anyways).
Wikitravel has a good article on haggling, with a few additional tips here: Wikitravel - How to haggle
Sometimes, we buy things just for ourselves, hoping to make the memory of our trip last longer. I am frequently guilty of this act. I like to buy one thing from a trip to place on my bookshelf. I have a little llama figurine from an Ecuadorian market, a wooden turtle from Jamaica, a red mosaic-tiled bull from Spain, a jade Buddha from Chinatown in San Francisco, and so on. Sometimes photos just aren't enough; I like to walk by and see something tangible from the places I have been.
haggle [hag-uh l]
1. to bargain in a petty, quibbling, and often contentious manner: They spent hours haggling over the price of fish.
2.to wrangle, dispute, or cavil: The senators haggled interminably over the proposed bill.
3. to mangle in cutting; hack.
4.to settle on by haggling.
This definition of haggling is a bit reductive though. When used properly, haggling can be carried out in a manner that is both dignified and respectful, while still satisfying both the tourist and the vendor.
-If they say no, and don't offer any counteroffer, they probably will not budge. Now you need to decide whether it is worth more than you want to pay for it, or if its better to just walk away.
-If the vendor says no, but offers a counteroffer that is lower than the original price, now is the best time to haggle since you know the vendor is willing to bargain.
-Think about the price for a minute, with a frown or furrowed brow.
-Offer up another counteroffer, in the range between the you and the vendor's offered prices. Repeat if needed.
-Once the vendor agrees to a price you are happy with, the haggle is over.
A few tips:
-Be respectful, and smile. People are always more receptive to friendly people, and they will be more willing to interact with you.
-Be honest with yourself about the worth of the item to you and to the vendor. You can't expect a vendor to sell you a scarf for $1 when he is selling them for $20 each.
-Sometimes, telling the vendor you only have enough money for the price you offered will get them to agree to your price.
-If all else fails, saying "no, thank you" and walking away can prompt the vendor to rethink his offer and call you back to negotiate further.
-You can often get the vendor to give you a discount on multiple items for one lump sum.
When not to haggle:
-If you are buying services or food (quality of service will be diminished, and you should never mess with the people who cook/bring you your food). The exception is at a farmers market, or any place where you can already see the food you are bargaining for.
-just for the sake of haggling. If the price is right, the price is right, and remember that the vendor has to make a profit on the sale too.
-If the item is really special, like something that you know the vendor himself/herself has handmade. Haggling could be an insult in this instance.
-If you are a millionaire (C'mon, you can afford it anyways).
Wikitravel has a good article on haggling, with a few additional tips here: Wikitravel - How to haggle
12/21/12
Climbing the Pichincha Volcano
In 2007, Quito, Ecuador became my home for four months while studying abroad. As a Spanish Studies major, I really needed to live abroad for a decent chunk of time in order to get my language skills to near fluency, so I chose a program in Microfinance in Ecuador. I lived with an amazing family, became good friends with my fellow students, and completed an internship with a microfinancial institution named Codesarrollo Ltda. Ecuador is an incredible place to visit, and an even more incredible place to live.
Quito is the large, sprawling urban center of northern Ecuador. It may not have much for skyscrapers, but the city is beautiful, sprawling across a rolling landscape with a stunning backdrop of Andes mountains. The western skyline of Quito is dominated by a large, active volcano named Pichincha. It last erupted in 1999, and before that hadn't erupted for centuries, so it is open to the public as a an attraction to tourists and hikers by way of the Teleférico. The Teleférico is a gondola-type structure that runs from the base of the mountain up to the lower summit of Pichincha, commonly known as Guagua ("baby" in Quechua, the old Andean language) Pichincha. Just riding up the Teleférico is an adventure in itself, with unbeatable views of the city and the Andes mountains that cradle the city.
Now, conquering the Teleférico was one of the first to-do list items upon arrival in Quito. During the first week, a group of us students made plans to take a day trip to the top of the Teleférico to have lunch. The views are incredible! Once we got to the top, we began to walk around and take photos, but like most tourists, we all began to experience altitude sickness. Feeling dizzy and short of breath, Alica, Emily, Carol, Jules, Michael (Migs) and I sat down to lunch at a restaurant, which luckily served Coca tea, a natural remedy that combats the effects of altitude sickness. A little freaky, considering coca leaves are used for making cocaine, but if its good enough for the locals, we figured it was good enough for us. After a few cups, we had hoped to feel good enough to continue walking around, but we ended up just touring the Guagua on horseback instead.
The Guagua was beautiful and made for a fun filled afternoon. However, once I got a look at the second and tallest peak of Pichincha, Rucu ("old one" in Quechua), I knew I had to climb it. My friends Alicia and Michael (aka Migs) got the same itch, so we decided to plan our attack. Since we hadn't fully acclimated to the altitude yet, we had to wait another week or so before our big climb.
Climbing Rucu Pichincha is no small feat. On the day we returned to Pichincha, we came prepared: we planned for at least 6 hours of hiking/climbing, packed extra food and water, maps, coca candy for the altitude, and brought layers of clothing to protect against the frigid and extreme climate changes we would surely encounter. The weather wasn't very clear that day, but we set out energetically to conquer the peak anyway. The trail winds up and down rocky hills and ridges, at times disappearing into thick grasses or mud puddles. We passed a few other hiking groups on their return trip, but none of them had attempted the peak climb. It made me a little nervous that we were the only ones going so far along the trail, but if either of my hiking companions felt the same way, they sure did a good job of hiding it. We had a great time talking about Quito, our new families, our school, and how much we wanted McDonald's cheeseburgers.
After about 3 tedious hours of slow incline, we finally hit the base of the peak and decided to stop for lunch. Munching on our sandwiches, we nervously laughed and talked through the next portion of our climb. Looking at what lay ahead of us, we considered turning back. Despite my doubts, our close proximity to our destination renewed my determination. I stood up and brushed the sandwich crumbs off my pants and turned to Alicia and Migs.
And that was that. We picked up our bags and set out for the last leg of our climb, and looked up at way lay ahead of us. The next half hour, the terrain would incline sharply and and the ground would become more treacherous. We could barely make out the summit through the thick clouds that were forming, but it didn't seem too far off.
While taking a celebratory video to show everyone back at our school where we had been, we suddenly froze. Our hairs felt like they were standing on end under our hoods. Moments later, all three of us jumped at the same time as electricity shocked through our bodies. A second later, a bright flash of lightning lit up the sky. It didn't hurt, but that was our cue that it was time to get out of there. You can see the video Migs took below! At the last moment, Migs almost drops his camera in surprise from being 'mildly' electrocuted.
We got off that peak as fast as we could, making the trek back to the Guagua in half the time it took us to trek in. The snow turned to heavy rain as we descended on the trail. By the time we reached the Teleférico, we were soaked to the bone and covered in mud. Two cabs drivers denied us rides at the base because of how awful we looked! We eventually found a cab willing to deal with our mess and went home to our families. As I walked in the gate to my family's house, my host mama shrieked and told me to stay in the garage until she could gather my mud-soaked clothes. Migs, Alicia and I met up the next day at school very sore, but we all agreed it was worth it!
Come on, how many people can say they have been electrocuted on top of a volcano?
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| Going up! |
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| Left to Right - Emily, Alicia, me, Carol, and Jules. Don't you love Emily's attire? Photo courtesy of Emily Stout. |
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| Yee haw. Photo courtesy of Emily Stout. |
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| Singing "the hills are alive" Julie Andrews style! Photo courtesy of Emily Stout. |
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| Me enjoying the view at the top - Photo courtesy of Migs |
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| Top Left to bottom right - Me, Emily, Alicia, and Carol - Photo courtesy of Emily Stout. |
The Guagua was beautiful and made for a fun filled afternoon. However, once I got a look at the second and tallest peak of Pichincha, Rucu ("old one" in Quechua), I knew I had to climb it. My friends Alicia and Michael (aka Migs) got the same itch, so we decided to plan our attack. Since we hadn't fully acclimated to the altitude yet, we had to wait another week or so before our big climb.
After about 3 tedious hours of slow incline, we finally hit the base of the peak and decided to stop for lunch. Munching on our sandwiches, we nervously laughed and talked through the next portion of our climb. Looking at what lay ahead of us, we considered turning back. Despite my doubts, our close proximity to our destination renewed my determination. I stood up and brushed the sandwich crumbs off my pants and turned to Alicia and Migs.
"We've gone this far, we might as well just keep right on going!" I said in my best Forrest Gump voice.
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| Our lunch spot...and the calm before the storm. |
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| The hike up, photo courtesy of Migs |
And that was that. We picked up our bags and set out for the last leg of our climb, and looked up at way lay ahead of us. The next half hour, the terrain would incline sharply and and the ground would become more treacherous. We could barely make out the summit through the thick clouds that were forming, but it didn't seem too far off.
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| Photo courtesy of Migs |
The climb was grueling. The solid ground transformed into sand and loose rock beneath our feet. Climbing the sand was tiring and difficult...we had to crawl on our hands and feet to get beyond it places where the sand became too deep to walk through. Beyond the sand, we gingerly climbed piles of jagged, black rock. We couldn't climb in front of each other because of the loose rocks, and continued on side by side. To make matters worse, a storm was forming around us. Snowflakes began to fall, and thunder rumbled all around. We stopped on a large, stable slab of rock, tired and out of breath.
"I dont think we can do this, this storm is getting worse. I'm exhausted!" Migs yelled between heavy breaths.
It was true, we were all exhausted. But we could see the peak, only 50 feet away! No matter how tired we were, we couldn't come as far as we had only to turn back in our final moments. We caught our breath and made one final push forward. Finally, we reached the top of Rucu Pichincha! We entusiastically celebrated our conquest with loud woops all around and took lots of photos. We were exhilarated by our success, barely noticing the worsening conditions around us. We never stopped to think that the thunder we were hearing meant there was a lot of electricity in the atmosphere...and we were pretty much standing in atmosphere.
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| Exito! Photo courtesy of Migs |
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| Photo courtesy of Migs |
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| Photo courtesy of Migs |
While taking a celebratory video to show everyone back at our school where we had been, we suddenly froze. Our hairs felt like they were standing on end under our hoods. Moments later, all three of us jumped at the same time as electricity shocked through our bodies. A second later, a bright flash of lightning lit up the sky. It didn't hurt, but that was our cue that it was time to get out of there. You can see the video Migs took below! At the last moment, Migs almost drops his camera in surprise from being 'mildly' electrocuted.
We got off that peak as fast as we could, making the trek back to the Guagua in half the time it took us to trek in. The snow turned to heavy rain as we descended on the trail. By the time we reached the Teleférico, we were soaked to the bone and covered in mud. Two cabs drivers denied us rides at the base because of how awful we looked! We eventually found a cab willing to deal with our mess and went home to our families. As I walked in the gate to my family's house, my host mama shrieked and told me to stay in the garage until she could gather my mud-soaked clothes. Migs, Alicia and I met up the next day at school very sore, but we all agreed it was worth it!
Come on, how many people can say they have been electrocuted on top of a volcano?
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